Usually, surgeries for the eardrums had to be scheduled way in advance. However, because the


    hospital was concerned Landon might actually demolish it, they arranged for Lauren’s surgery to be


    done


    immediately the morning after.


    Landon hadn’t slept a wink or had a bite since the night before, and Angelina followed suit.


    Angelina had stayed loyal to Landon for ten years, the only woman in his life for so long that had never


    been swapped or reced.


    Angelina would always be by his side when a femalepanion was needed for whatever events he


    attended.


    Some people woulde andpliment her for her looks and how well they looked together, but


    well.” Landon would only chuckle and say, “I see you’re a man of culture as


    Angelina knew very well that nothing beyond their current rtionship would ever be possible and


    never hoped for such.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    She was privy to his habits by now and knew his boundaries when it came to other women.


    They could fool around and sleep together, but there would be no talk of marriage. Even if he did marry,


    he would have ended up with multiple wives like Winston Taylor,


    Yet things were entirely different now. This was the first time Landon had treated a woman like he


    treated


    Lauren, as far as Angelina knew anyway.


    Sir.


    the surgery


    will take some time for sure. Why don’t you sit and rest your legs?” she asked gently.


    “I don’t need rest.” Landon stared fixedly at the surgery room door, anxious like nothing else.


    “It’s just a minor surgery with barely any failure rate. I don’t think it should be that worryi-”


    “How could I not worry? What if Lauren’s hearing worsens? What if she gets side effects from this?


    What if she goes deaf once she grows old?” Landon roared,


    At this rate, Lauren might need a hearing aid, Angelina thought as she winced.


    “Betty should fucking go to hell!” Landon roared again, punching the hospital wall. “I’m not going to let


    her off that fucking easy, even if Lauren’s ear heals! I’m going to snap every one of her fingers in half!”


    Gathering her courage, Angelina asked, “May I ask you a question, Mr. Harper?”


    “What?”


    “Do Do you have feelings for Ms. Lauren?”


    Landon’s heart fell into his stomach and back up, pounding furiously in his chest.


    His breathing quickened into something uncontroble.


    Did he have feelings for Lauren?


    Did he?


    His feelings for Lauren had gone beyond the point of using his friendship with Jasper as an excuse to


    keep her safe.


    But she was still Sophia Kirkman’s daughter.


    Even if Landon truly adored how sweet and innocent Lauren was, making a never-before-seen


    tenderness


    and protectiveness arise in him, that one fact was enough to keep an uncrossable gap between him


    and


    Lauren


    “I do, Angelina, but I can’t act on it beyond this.” Landon leaned against the wall, palms t against it.


    His knuckles were bruised red from the punch he’d struck earlier-as were his eyes.